Israel Dagg has fallen from grace after starring in the All Blacks' 30-0 victory over France on Saturday after using the word "fag" in a tweet.

Dagg called Blues player Brendon O'Connor a "fag", a comment that attracted widespread criticism that led to the player admitting to a "wrong choice of word" in a later tweet on Sunday. "Don't let it ruin ya Sunday, keep smiling," Dagg posted subsequently.

Former New Zealand women's rugby player and now opposition MP Louisa Wall said the All Blacks had a responsibility not to use offensive language. "They fail to recognise the responsibility they have as leaders in New Zealand society, and the influence they have on a whole generation not only of young people, but they represent all New Zealanders now," she told Fairfax News.

A representative of the group Queer Avengers, Sara Fraser, told ZB news of her disgust. "Really it's just indicative of the fact that although we now have marriage equality and things on the surface appear to be getting better, in actual fact they're not."

New Zealand became the first Asia-Pacific country to legalise same-sex marriage in April.